Land vehicles incorporating removable powertrain units, powertrain units, and methods therefor

ABSTRACT

Land vehicles, powertrain units for land vehicles, and methods of using land vehicles are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the land vehicles are provided as delivery vehicles and/or utility vehicles. A land vehicle includes a frame structure having a front cage that defines an operator cabin and a rear floor positioned rearward of the front cage. The frame structure supports a plurality of wheels to permit movement of the vehicle relative to an underlying surface in use of the land vehicle. An underside of the frame structure is disposed in confronting relation with the underlying surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S.Provisional App. Ser. No. 62/957,577 entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORMANUFACTURING LAND VEHICLES,” which was filed on Jan. 6, 2020. Thecontents of that application are incorporated by reference herein intheir entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to land vehicles incorporatingpowertrain units, and, more particularly, to utility and delivervehicles incorporating powertrain units.

BACKGROUND

Current powertrain devices and/or systems for land vehicles, as well asmethods associated therewith, suffer from a variety of drawbacks andlimitations. For those reasons, among others, there remains a need forfurther improvements in this technological field.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure may comprise one or more of the followingfeatures and combinations thereof.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a land vehicle mayinclude a frame structure and at least one powertrain unit. The framestructure may include a front cage that defines an operator cabin and arear floor positioned rearward of the front cage. The frame structuremay support a plurality of wheels to permit movement of the vehiclerelative to an underlying surface in use of the land vehicle. Anunderside of the frame structure may be disposed in confronting relationwith the underlying surface. The at least one powertrain unit may beremovably attached to the underside of the frame structure. The at leastone powertrain unit may include a plurality of drive units coupled tothe plurality of wheels. In use of the land vehicle, rotational powermay be provided to one of the plurality of wheels by a first drive unitof the plurality of drive units and to another one of the plurality ofwheels by a second drive unit of the plurality of drive units.

In some embodiments, the frame structure may be a monocoque having asingle-piece, monolithic structure unsupported by an internal chassis,the monocoque may include a core and a shell that at least partiallysurrounds the core, the core may include balsa wood and one or morecomposite, non-metallic materials, and the shell may include resin andfiberglass. The vehicle may have a weight limit of between 6,000 poundsand 19,800 pounds. A height of the rear floor above the underlyingsurface may be between 18 inches and 35 inches.

In some embodiments, a cradle of the at least one powertrain unit may beremovably affixed directly to the underside of the frame structure, thefirst drive unit may be coupled to a first axle of the at least onepowertrain unit to drive rotation of the first axle, the second driveunit may be coupled to a second axle of the at least one powertrain unitto drive rotation of the second axle, and the first drive unit, thefirst axle, the second drive unit, and the second axle may be supportedby the cradle such that the first drive unit, the first axle, the seconddrive unit, and the second axle are aligned along a lateral axis. Thefirst axle may be coupled to a first wheel hub to which a first wheel ofthe plurality of wheels is mounted for rotation about the lateral axis,the second axle may be coupled to a second wheel hub to which a secondwheel of the plurality of wheels is mounted for rotation about thelateral axis, and in use of the land vehicle, rotation of the firstwheel about the lateral axis may be driven by the first drive unitindependently of rotation of the second wheel about the lateral axisdriven by the second drive unit. Additionally, in some embodiments, eachof the first drive unit and the second drive unit may be an electricmotor. In some embodiments yet still, the first drive unit, the firstaxle, the second drive unit, and the second axle may be mounted to thecradle such that the first drive unit, the first axle, the second driveunit, and the second axle are detached from the frame structure uponremoval of the cradle from the underside of the frame structure.

In some embodiments, the first drive unit may be at least partiallyaligned with a longitudinal centerline of the underside of the framestructure, the second drive unit may be at least partially aligned withthe longitudinal centerline, and each of the first drive unit and thesecond drive unit may extend outwardly away from, and be located atleast partially beneath, the longitudinal centerline. The vehicle maynot include a drive shaft arranged along the longitudinal centerlinethat provides a rotational input to the at least one powertrain unit.The vehicle may not include an internal combustion engine.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a powertrain unitfor a land vehicle that includes a frame structure supporting aplurality of wheels to permit movement of the vehicle relative to anunderlying surface in use of the land vehicle may include a cradle, afirst drive unit, and a second drive unit. The cradle may be removablyattachable directly to an underside of the frame structure to disposethe cradle in confronting relation with the underlying surface in use ofthe powertrain unit. The first drive unit may be mounted to the cradleto provide rotational power to a first wheel of the plurality of wheelsin use of powertrain unit. The second drive unit may be mounted to thecradle to provide rotational power to a second wheel of the plurality ofwheels in use of the powertrain unit.

In some embodiments, the powertrain unit may include a first axlecoupled to the first drive unit to be rotatably driven by the firstdrive unit, a first wheel hub coupled to the first axle and configuredto support the first wheel for rotation about a rotational axis, asecond axle coupled to the second drive unit to be rotatably driven bythe second drive unit, and a second wheel hub coupled to the second axleand configured to support the second wheel for rotation about therotational axis, and the first drive unit, the first axle, the firstwheel hub, the second drive unit, the second axle, and the second wheelhub may be aligned along the rotational axis. The first drive unit, thefirst axle, the first wheel hub, the second drive unit, the second axle,and the second wheel hub may be mounted to the cradle such that thefirst drive unit, the first axle, the first wheel hub, the second driveunit, the second axle, and the second wheel hub are detached from theframe structure upon removal of the cradle from the underside of theframe structure.

In some embodiments, each of the first drive unit and the second driveunit may be an electric motor. Additionally, in some embodiments, thepowertrain unit may not include an internal combustion engine.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method ofusing a land vehicle that includes a frame structure supporting aplurality of wheels to permit movement of the vehicle relative to anunderlying surface in use of the land vehicle and a powertrain unitcoupled to the frame structure may include assembling the powertrainunit, attaching a cradle of the assembled powertrain unit directly to anunderside of the frame structure such that the powertrain unit isdisposed in confronting relation with the underlying surface, andoperating the land vehicle.

In some embodiments, assembling the powertrain unit may include mountinga first drive unit of the powertrain unit to the cradle, mounting asecond drive unit of the powertrain unit to the cradle, coupling a firstaxle of the powertrain unit to the first drive unit, coupling a secondaxle of the powertrain unit to the second drive unit, coupling a firstwheel hub of the powertrain unit to the first axle, and coupling asecond wheel hub of the powertrain unit to the second axle. Operatingthe land vehicle may include driving rotation of a first wheel coupledto the first wheel hub by the first drive unit and driving rotation of asecond wheel coupled to the second wheel hub by the second drive unitindependently of driving rotation of the first wheel by the first driveunit. The method may include removing the powertrain unit from the landvehicle, and removing the powertrain unit from the land vehicle mayinclude detaching the cradle from the underside of the frame structure.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure still, a landvehicle may include a frame structure and at least one powertrain unit.The frame structure may include a front cage that defines an operatorcabin and a rear floor positioned rearward of the front cage. The framestructure may support a plurality of wheels to permit movement of thevehicle relative to an underlying surface in use of the land vehicle. Anunderside of the frame structure may be disposed in confronting relationwith the underlying surface. The frame structure may be a monocoquehaving a single-piece, monolithic structure unsupported by an internalchassis. The at least one powertrain unit may be removably attached tothe underside of the frame structure. The at least one powertrain unitmay include a cradle, a first drive unit, and a second drive unit. Thecradle may be directly affixed to the underside of the frame structureand disposed in confronting relation with the underlying surface. Thefirst drive unit may be mounted to the cradle to provide rotationalpower to a first wheel of the plurality of wheels in use of powertrainunit. The second drive unit may be mounted to the cradle to providerotational power to a second wheel of the plurality of wheels in use ofthe powertrain unit.

In some embodiments, the monocoque may include a core and a shell thatat least partially surrounds the core, the core may include balsa woodand one or more composite, non-metallic materials, and the shell mayinclude resin and fiberglass. The vehicle may have a weight limit ofbetween 6,000 pounds and 19,800 pounds, a height of the rear floor abovethe underlying surface may be between 18 inches and 35 inches, and theone or more composite, non-metallic materials may include fiberglass,Kevlar, carbon fiber, or plastic. The at least one powertrain unit mayinclude a first axle coupled to the first drive unit to be rotatablydriven by the first drive unit, a first wheel hub coupled to the firstaxle and configured to support the first wheel for rotation about arotational axis, a second axle coupled to the second drive unit to berotatably driven by the second drive unit, and a second wheel hubcoupled to the second axle and configured to support the second wheelfor rotation about the rotational axis. The first drive unit, the firstaxle, the first wheel hub, the second drive unit, the second axle, andthe second wheel hub may be aligned along the rotational axis, and thefirst drive unit, the first axle, the first wheel hub, the second driveunit, the second axle, and the second wheel hub may be mounted to thecradle such that the first drive unit, the first axle, the first wheelhub, the second drive unit, the second axle, and the second wheel hubare detached from the frame structure upon removal of the cradle fromthe underside of the frame structure.

These and other features of the present disclosure will become moreapparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention described herein is illustrated by way of example and notby way of limitation in the accompanying figures. For simplicity andclarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures are notnecessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elementsmay be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further,where considered appropriate, reference labels have been repeated amongthe figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

FIG. 1 depicts side elevation views of a number of electric vehiclesthat may be included in an electric vehicle line according to certainembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a monocoque or unibody that may beincorporated into any electric vehicle of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded assembly view of an electric vehicleaccording to at least one embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a partial schematic rear end view of a conventional deliveryvehicle;

FIG. 5 is a partial schematic rear end view of a delivery vehicleaccording to at least one embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a table illustrating United States standard vehicle classes bygross vehicular weight rating (GVWR);

FIG. 7 is a partial schematic depiction of a composite structure thatmay be used to form a monocoque or unibody of any electric vehicle ofthe disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a powertrain unit that may be mounted toan underside of a monocoque or unibody of any electric vehicle of thedisclosure;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic depiction of the powertrain unit of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a simplified flowchart of one portion of a method of using aland vehicle according to one embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is diagrammatic view of another portion of the method of FIG.10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof havebeen shown by way of example in the drawings and will be describedherein in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is nointent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particularforms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives consistent with the presentdisclosure and the appended claims.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“an illustrative embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodimentdescribed may include a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic, but every embodiment may or may not necessarily includethat particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, suchphrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further,when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described inconnection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within theknowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure,or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or notexplicitly described. Additionally, it should be appreciated that itemsincluded in a list in the form of “at least one A, B, and C” can mean(A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).Similarly, items listed in the form of “at least one of A, B, or C” canmean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).

In the drawings, some structural or method features, such as thoserepresenting devices, modules, instructions blocks and data elements,may be shown in specific arrangements and/or orderings for ease ofdescription. However, it should be appreciated that such specificarrangements and/or orderings may not be required. Rather, in someembodiments, such features may be arranged in a different manner and/ororder than shown in the illustrative figures. Additionally, theinclusion of a structural or method feature in a particular figure isnot meant to imply that such feature is required in all embodiments and,in some embodiments, may not be included or may be combined with otherfeatures.

In some embodiments, schematic elements used to represent blocks of amethod may be manually performed by a user. In other embodiments,implementation of those schematic elements may be automated using anysuitable form of machine-readable instruction, such as software orfirmware applications, programs, functions, modules, routines,processes, procedures, plug-ins, applets, widgets, code fragments and/orothers, for example, and each such instruction may be implemented usingany suitable programming language, library, application programminginterface (API), and/or other software development tools. For instance,in some embodiments, the schematic elements may be implemented usingJava, C++, and/or other programming languages. Similarly, schematicelements used to represent data or information may be implemented usingany suitable electronic arrangement or structure, such as a register,data store, table, record, array, index, hash, map, tree, list, graph,file (of any file type), folder, directory, database, and/or others, forexample.

Further, in the drawings, where connecting elements, such as solid ordashed lines or arrows, are used to illustrate a connection,relationship, or association between or among two or more otherschematic elements, the absence of any such connection elements is notmeant to imply that no connection, relationship, or association canexist. In other words, some connections, relationships, or associationsbetween elements may not be shown in the drawings so as not to obscurethe disclosure. In addition, for ease of illustration, a singleconnecting element may be used to represent multiple connections,relationships, or associations between elements. For example, where aconnecting element represents a communication of signals, data orinstructions, it should be understood by those skilled in the art thatsuch element may represent one or multiple signal paths (e.g., a bus),as may be needed, to effect the communication.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an illustrative line 100 of land vehiclesincludes a plurality of land vehicles. In the illustrative embodiment,the land vehicle line 100 includes, but is not limited to, atwo-passenger flatbed utility vehicle 110, a 650 cubic foot capacitydelivery vehicle 120, a 1000 cubic foot capacity delivery vehicle 130, asix-passenger flatbed utility vehicle 140, and a 1200 cubic footcapacity delivery vehicle 150. However, in some embodiments, the landvehicle line 100 may include any vehicle having a capacity within aparticular range, such as a range of from 400 cubic feet to 1400 cubicfeet, for example. In keeping with industry terminology, the phrase“cubic foot capacity” may be shortened or abbreviated herein to simply“cube.” It should be appreciated that the phrase “cubic foot capacity”as contemplated herein may refer to a storage volume or storage capacityof a particular land vehicle. In any case, as will be apparent from thediscussion that follows, one or more vehicles of the vehicle line 100may be manufactured using the systems and methods described herein.

In the illustrative embodiment, each of the vehicles included in thevehicle line 100 (i.e., each of the vehicles 110, 120, 130, 140, 150)includes a monocoque, unibody, or frame structure 200 (see FIG. 2)supporting wheels (e.g., wheels 112, 122, 132, 142, 152) to permitmovement of the particular vehicle relative to an underlying surface inuse thereof. As described herein, the monocoque 200 is a single-piece,monolithic structure unsupported by an internal chassis. The monocoque200 includes a front cage 210 defining an operator cabin 212 and a rearfloor 220 positioned rearward of the front cage 210. The monocoque 200illustratively has a composite construction (e.g., the compositestructure 700 shown in FIG. 7) such that each of the front cage 210 andthe rear floor 220 are formed from one or more composite materials, asdescribed in greater detail below. An underside 214 of the illustrativemonocoque 200 faces, and is disposed in confronting relation with, theunderlying surface. Further details of the monocoque 200, as well asmodular mold systems used to form the monocoque 200, are described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/142,766. Additionally, methods offorming the monocoque 200 are described in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 17/142,785. The disclosures of those applications are incorporatedby reference herein in their entireties.

As best seen in FIG. 8, any vehicle of the illustrative vehicle line 100includes at least one powertrain unit 800 capable of driving movement ofthe vehicle relative to the underlying surface. In the illustrativeembodiment, the at least one powertrain unit 800 is removably attachedto the underside 214 of the monocoque 200. The at least one powertrainunit 800 includes a plurality of drive units (i.e., drive units 810,830) coupled to wheels (e.g., wheels 112, 122, 132, 142, 152). Asfurther discussed below, in use of the land vehicle, rotational power isprovided to one wheel (e.g., one of the wheels 112, 122, 132, 142, 152)by the drive unit 810 and to another wheel (e.g., another one of thewheels 112, 122, 132, 142, 152) by the drive unit 830.

At least some of the vehicles (e.g., the vehicles 110, 140) of theillustrative line 100 may be embodied as, included in, or otherwiseadapted for use with, electric utility vehicles. Furthermore, at leastsome of the vehicles (e.g., the vehicles 120, 130, 150) of theillustrative line 100 may be embodied as, included in, or otherwiseadapted for use with, electric vehicles having enclosed stowagecompartments. Of course, in other embodiments, it should be appreciatedthat the vehicles of the line 100 may be embodied as, included in, orotherwise adapted for use with, other suitable vehicles.

It should be appreciated each of the vehicles of the illustrative line100 may be employed in a variety of applications. In some embodiments,one or more vehicles of the line 100 may be embodied as, or otherwiseincluded in, a fire and emergency vehicle, a refuse vehicle, a coachvehicle, a recreational vehicle or motorhome, a municipal and/or servicevehicle, an agricultural vehicle, a mining vehicle, a specialty vehicle,an energy vehicle, a defense vehicle, a port service vehicle, aconstruction vehicle, and a transit and/or bus vehicle, just to name afew. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more vehicles of the line100 may be adapted for use with, or otherwise incorporated into,tractors, front end loaders, scraper systems, cutters and shredders, hayand forage equipment, planting equipment, seeding equipment, sprayersand applicators, tillage equipment, utility vehicles, mowers, dumptrucks, backhoes, track loaders, crawler loaders, dozers, excavators,motor graders, skid steers, tractor loaders, wheel loaders, rakes,aerators, skidders, bunchers, forwarders, harvesters, swing machines,knuckleboom loaders, diesel engines, axles, planetary gear drives, pumpdrives, transmissions, generators, and marine engines, among othersuitable equipment.

It should be appreciated that the vehicles of the illustrative vehicleline 100 may each include one or more features that improve theexperience of the driver, the owner, and/or maintenance personnel. Suchfeatures may include, but are not limited to, a low floor, a modularbattery system, air springs and/or air ride features, an independentrear suspension, an independent front suspension, thermal batterymanagement capability, flexible shelving options, desirable driversightlines, LED lighting, telematics/driver feedback, features tofacilitate maintenance, an aerodynamic body, and advanced safetysystems. Further details regarding at least some of these features areprovided herein.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in addition to the front cage 210 and the rearfloor 220, at least in some embodiments, the monocoque 200 includes anintermediate section 230 arranged between the front cage 210 and therear floor 220. The intermediate section 230 may form a portion of afloor section arranged forward of the rear floor 220.

In the illustrative embodiment, the monocoque 200 combines what wouldtraditionally be formed from one or more separate structures (e.g., oneor more body components and one or more frame components) into asingle-piece, monolithic structure. As such, any vehicle of the presentdisclosure incorporating the monocoque 200 does not include an internalchassis or frame structure that supports separate body components (e.g.,panels, doors, etc.). Due at least in part to consolidation of body andframe components into an integrally-formed structure, the illustrativemonocoque 200 may be associated with, or otherwise facilitate, improvedmanufacturability and/or simplified maintenance compared to otherconfigurations.

Depending on the particular vehicle type and monocoque configuration,one or more dimensions of the intermediate section 230 of the monocoque200 may vary. In one example, the intermediate section 230 may have afirst length that at least partially defines a stowage compartment of a650 cubic feet delivery vehicle (e.g., the vehicle 120). In anotherexample, the intermediate section 230 may have a second length that atleast partially defines a stowage compartment of a 1000 cubic feetdelivery vehicle (e.g., the vehicle 130). In yet another example, theintermediate section 230 may have a third length that at least partiallydefines a stowage compartment of a 1200 cubic feet delivery vehicle(e.g., the vehicle 150).

Furthermore, depending on the particular vehicle type and monocoqueconfiguration, the intermediate section 230 of the monocoque 200 may beomitted entirely. In such embodiments, the front cage 210 and the rearfloor 220 may be integrally-formed as a single-piece, monolithicstructure without the intermediate section 230 interposed therebetween.It should be appreciated that the utility vehicles 110 and 140 may eachinclude a monocoque formed without the intermediate section 230, atleast in some embodiments.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a vehicle 300 incorporates the monocoque 200with the intermediate section 230 arranged between the front cage 210and the rear floor 220. Additionally, the vehicle 300 includes a cabhood 302 arranged above the front cage 210 to enclose the operator cabin212 and a stowage compartment 310 arranged rearward of the front cage210 and the cab hood 302. In the illustrative embodiment, the stowagecompartment 310 is at least partially defined by the intermediatesection 230 and the rear floor 220 and has a roof 312 and sidewalls 314.The illustrative vehicle 300 may be similar to any one of the vehicles120, 130, 150 discussed above, at least in some embodiments.

Because the monocoque 200 has a composite construction as indicatedabove, it should be appreciated that any vehicle described herein thatincorporates the monocoque 200 (e.g., any of the vehicles 110, 120, 130,140, 150, 300, 500) incorporates a composite structure (e.g., thestructure 700 shown in FIG. 7). In the case of the vehicle 300, each ofthe intermediate section 230, the roof 312, and the sidewalls 314 isformed from composite materials and has a composite structure, at leastin some embodiments. In those embodiments, each of the intermediatesection 230, the roof 312, and the sidewalls 314 does not includemetallic material.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a prior art delivery vehicle 400 includes astowage compartment 410. The stowage compartment 410 includes a floor412, a pair of sidewalls 414, a ceiling 416, and a refrigeration unit418 at least partially housed by the stowage compartment 410 andconfigured to cool the stowage compartment 410. The rear end of thevehicle 400 includes a landing 404 and a step 406 that leads to thefloor 412 of the stowage compartment 410.

As depicted in FIG. 4, the landing 404 has a landing height 424 aboveground level 402 and the step 406 has a step height 426 above thelanding 404. The floor 412 has a floor height 422 above the ground level402 that includes both the landing height 424 and the step height 426.Typically, the landing height 424 is about 25 inches, the step height426 is about ten inches, and the floor height 422 is about 35 inches.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a delivery vehicle 500 may include a monocoque(e.g., the monocoque 200) described above with reference to FIG. 2.Furthermore, in some embodiments, the vehicle 500 may be similar to oneor more of the vehicles 120, 130, 150 described above. In any case, theillustrative delivery vehicle 500 includes a stowage compartment 510having a floor 512, a pair of sidewalls 514, and a ceiling 516, as wellas a refrigeration unit 518 housed by the stowage compartment 510.Unlike the prior art delivery vehicle 400, however, the vehicle 500lacks a step corresponding to the step 406. As such, the floor 512 has afloor height 522 that substantially corresponds to, and may be equal to,the landing height 424. The floor height 522 may be less than thirtyinches, such as in the range of 22 to 28 inches, for example. A pair ofwheel wells 530 formed within the stowage compartment 510 are offsetfrom one another by a separation distance 532. In certain embodiments,the separation distance 532 may be about 50 inches.

In some cases, the prior art delivery vehicle 400 suffers from one ormore disadvantages not associated with the illustrative vehicle 500. Inone respect, the sidewalls 414 and the ceiling 416 of the prior artvehicle 400 are typically formed of metallic material such as aluminum,for example, which is a poor thermal insulator. As such, the compartment410 may be poorly insulated and have a tendency to adopt the temperatureof the ambient environment relatively quickly. That may be especiallythe case in the summer when radiant heat from the sun supplements theambient hot air to exacerbate the warming of the compartment 410. Incontrast, the sidewalls 514 and the ceiling 516 of the illustrativevehicle 500 are formed of composite materials, which exhibit superiorinsulating characteristics compared to metallic material such asaluminum. Accordingly, the compartment 510 is insulated from the ambientenvironment to a greater degree than the compartment 410. Thatinsulation may be particularly advantageous in cases in which thevehicle 500 is a refrigerated vehicle such as a food delivery vehicle,for instance. It should be appreciated that the insulating properties ofthe compartment 510 may ease the cooling burden on the refrigerationunit 518 and thereby increase performance of the refrigeration unit 518.Additionally, in certain circumstances, increased performance of therefrigeration unit 518 may enable the vehicle 500 to be provided with asmaller refrigeration unit 518 than would typically be required by theprior art vehicle 400.

Another drawback associated with the prior art vehicle 400 is theelevated nature of the floor 412 relative to the ground level 402. Itshould be appreciated that the elevated floor 412 is not merely a designchoice but rather a feature often necessitated to accommodate inclusionof the internal chassis or frame, the powertrain, and associatedcomponents. Put another way, to accommodate the mounting of aconventional internal combustion engine and other powertrain components(e.g., a transmission, transaxle, and/or a differential) to an internalchassis, the floor 412 is elevated above the ground level 402 by thefloor height 422. Consequently, the elevated floor 412 reduces thestorage capacity and/or volume of the stowage compartment 410 andrequires the provision of the step 406. Delivery personnel using thevehicle 400 must therefore step up onto the landing 404 and ascend thestep 406 in order to access the compartment 410.

The illustrative vehicle 500 obviates a number of the aforementioneddisadvantages by eliminating the necessity of the elevated floor 412.Due in part to the provision of the monocoque 200 as a single-piece,monolithically formed structure having a relatively lightweightcomposite construction, and due in part to the absence of powertraincomponents typically provided in other configurations (e.g., a centraldrive shaft beneath the underside 214 of the monocoque 200 that providesa rotational input to a differential), the floor 512 need not beelevated above the ground level like the floor 412. As a result, thevehicle 500 allows increased stowage capacity of the stowage compartment510 to be achieved without raising the ceiling 516. Moreover, because astep similar to the step 406 may be omitted from the vehicle 500, thefloor height 522 corresponds to the landing height 424 of theconventional vehicle 400, and delivery personnel may avoid the effort ofascending both the landing 404 and the step 406 to access the stowagecompartment 510 of the vehicle 500. Notably, it should be appreciatedthat a rear bumper of the vehicle 500 may be slightly lower than thefloor 512 and that delivery personnel may access the compartment 510 byfirst stepping on the rear bumper. In some embodiments, the rear bumpermay have a height of about 20 inches above the ground level, whereas thefloor 512 may have a height of about 25 inches above the ground level.

Referring now to FIG. 6, in the United States, trucks are oftenclassified according to their gross vehicular weight rating (GVWR).Those truck classifications, the associated duty classifications, andthe corresponding GVWRs are illustrated in the table 600. In theillustrative embodiment, one or more of the vehicles 110, 120, 130, 140,150 has a GVWR (i.e., accounting for the weight of the truck when emptyand the payload carrying capacity of the truck when full) of between6,000 pounds and 19,800 pounds. In some embodiments, one or more of thevehicles 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 has a GVWR of between 10,001 pounds and14,000 pounds such that one or more of the vehicles 110, 120, 130, 140,150 is embodied as, or otherwise includes, a Class 3 truck. In oneparticular example, in some embodiments, the 1000 cubic foot capacityvehicle 130 weighs roughly 6,500 pounds when empty and has a 6,000 poundpayload capacity such that the vehicle 130 has a GVWR of about 12,500pounds. Of course, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments,the vehicle line 100 may include one or more vehicles in Class 3, one ormore vehicles in Class 4, and/or one or more vehicles in Class 5.

In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may findparticular utility in connection with delivery vehicles in Classes 3through 5. For example, the method 1000 described below may be utilizedin connection with a delivery vehicle having a GVWR between 10,001pounds and 19,500 pounds. The stowage capacity of such a vehicle may bebetween 450 cubic feet and 1200 cubic feet. In certain embodiments, thestowage compartment (e.g., the compartment 510) of the vehicle may beisolated from the operator cabin (e.g., the operator cabin 212) of thevehicle.

Referring now to FIG. 7, any vehicle of the present disclosure includesa monocoque having the composite structure 700. In the illustrativeembodiment, the composite structure 700 incorporates one or morerelatively lightweight, low-density materials to impart a relativelylightweight construction to the vehicle. As discussed below, theillustrative composite structure 700 includes one or more of thefollowing: balsa wood, plastic, fiberglass, resin, Kevlar, honeycomb,and carbon fiber. The composite structure 700 does not include, and isnot formed from, metallic material, at least in some embodiments. Inthose embodiments, the monocoque (e.g., the monocoque 200) incorporatingthe composite structure 700 does not include metallic material.

The illustrative composite structure 700 includes a core 702 and a shell704 that at least partially surrounds the core 702. In the illustrativeembodiment, the core 702 is formed from balsa wood and/or one or more ofthe following composite, non-metallic materials: unidirectionalfiberglass, multi-directional fiberglass, Kevlar, carbon fiber, plastic,honeycomb, or other suitable composite, non-metallic materials. Ofcourse, in other embodiments, the core 702 may be formed from othersuitable materials to provide a relatively lightweight construction tothe composite structure 700. The illustrative shell 704 is formed fromfiberglass and resin. However, in other embodiments, the shell 704 maybe formed from other suitable materials. Additionally, in theillustrative embodiment, the composite structure 700 includes a laminatelayer 706 that at least partially covers the shell 704.

It should be appreciated that the composite structure 700 used to formthe monocoque of any vehicle of the present disclosure offers a numberof advantages over multi-piece metallic constructions of conventionalvehicles. In one respect, the single-piece monolithic structure formedwith the composite structure 700 has fewer parts and offers greaterstructural simplicity than vehicle constructions requiring multipleparts. In another respect, the structural simplicity afforded by thecomposite structure 700 may facilitate maintenance and improvestructural efficiency. In yet another respect, due to a lack of metallicmaterial, the composite structure 700 may minimize or eliminate rustand/or corrosion and thereby have a service life that exceeds theservice life of vehicles having conventional constructions. In someinstances, monocoques incorporating composite structures 700 consistentwith the teachings of the present disclosure may have service lives of20 years or more.

Referring now to FIG. 8, in the illustrative embodiment, a singlepowertrain unit 800 is coupled to the underside (e.g., the underside214) of a frame structure (e.g., the monocoque 200) to drive a pair ofwheels arranged on opposite sides 802, 804 of the frame structure. Insome embodiments, the powertrain unit 800 is positioned to drive a pairof rear wheels of any vehicle of the present disclosure. In suchembodiments, the powertrain unit 800 may be incorporated into, form aportion of, or otherwise be adapted for use with, a rear suspension ofthe vehicle. In other embodiments, however, the powertrain 800 may bepositioned to drive a pair of front wheels of any vehicle disclosedherein. In those embodiments, the powertrain unit 800 may beincorporated into, form a portion of, or otherwise be adapted for usewith, a front suspension of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, any vehicle of the present disclosure mayincorporate multiple powertrain units 800. In one example, onepowertrain unit 800 may be coupled to the underside 214 of the framestructure 200 to drive a pair of rear wheels arranged on opposite sides802, 804 of the frame structure 200, and another powertrain unit 800 maybe coupled to the underside 214 of the frame structure 200 to drive apair of front wheels arranged on opposite sides 802, 804 of the framestructure 200. Of course, it should be appreciated that in otherembodiments, multiple powertrain units 800 may be positioned in contactwith the underside 214 of the frame structure 200 at other suitablelocations to drive the wheels of any vehicle contemplated herein.

In the illustrative embodiment, a cradle 806 of the powertrain unit 800is removably affixed or attached directly to the underside 214 of theframe structure 200. The illustrative cradle 806 is embodied as, orotherwise includes, any structure or collection of structures capable ofsupporting a number of separate components of the powertrain unit 800that are coupled to the cradle 806 as described below. Furthermore, asdescribed in greater detail below, upon removal of the cradle 806 fromthe underside 214 of the frame structure 200, the components of thepowertrain 800 coupled thereto are detached from the frame structure 200to facilitate access to those components for maintenance, servicing,repair, and/or replacement, among other things. In some embodiments, thecradle 806 may be sized to at least partially house the powertraincomponents secured thereto. In such embodiments, the cradle 806 may beembodied as, or otherwise include, a housing, casing, enclosure, or thelike.

The illustrative powertrain unit 800 includes the drive unit 810, anaxle 814 coupled to the drive unit 810 to be rotatably driven by thedrive unit 810, and a wheel hub 816 coupled to the axle 814 andconfigured to support a wheel for rotation about a rotational axis RA.The drive unit 810 is embodied as, or otherwise includes, any device orcollection of devices capable of producing rotational power to driverotation of a wheel supported by the wheel hub 816 through the axle 814and the wheel hub 816. In some embodiments, the drive unit 810, the axle814, and the wheel hub 816 may cooperatively provide, or otherwiseestablish, a drivetrain for transmitting rotational power to the wheelsupported by the wheel hub 816. In any case, in the illustrativeembodiment, the drive unit 810 (e.g., a casing or housing thereof) ismounted to and secured to the cradle 806. The axle 814 and the wheel hub816 are coupled to the drive unit 810 to permit rotation of thosecomponents relative to the cradle 806 while receiving support therefromin use of the vehicle.

In the illustrative embodiment, the drive unit 810 is embodied as, orotherwise includes, an electric motor. For example, the drive unit 810may be embodied as, or otherwise include, a brushless DC motor, apermanent magnet DC motor, a brushless DC motor, a switched reluctancemotor, a universal AC/DC motor, an induction motor, a torque motor, asynchronous motor, a doubly-fed electric machine, an ironless orcoreless rotor motor, a pancake or axial rotor motor, a servo motor, astepper motor, a linear motor, or the like. In other embodiments, thedrive unit 810 may be embodied as, or otherwise include, anothersuitable electric motor.

The illustrative powertrain unit 800 includes the drive unit 830, anaxle 834 coupled to the drive unit 830 to be rotatably driven by thedrive unit 830, and a wheel hub 836 coupled to the axle 834 andconfigured to support a wheel for rotation about the rotational axis RA.The drive unit 830 is embodied as, or otherwise includes, any device orcollection of devices capable of producing rotational power to driverotation of a wheel supported by the wheel hub 836 through the axle 834and the wheel hub 836. In some embodiments, the drive unit 830, the axle834, and the wheel hub 836 may cooperatively provide, or otherwiseestablish, a drivetrain for transmitting rotational power to the wheelsupported by the wheel hub 836. In any case, in the illustrativeembodiment, the drive unit 830 (e.g., a casing or housing thereof) ismounted to and secured to the cradle 806. The axle 834 and the wheel hub836 are coupled to the drive unit 830 to permit rotation of thosecomponents relative to the cradle 806 while receiving support therefromin use of the vehicle.

In the illustrative embodiment, the drive unit 830 is embodied as, orotherwise includes, an electric motor. For example, the drive unit 830may be embodied as, or otherwise include, a brushless DC motor, apermanent magnet DC motor, a brushless DC motor, a switched reluctancemotor, a universal AC/DC motor, an induction motor, a torque motor, asynchronous motor, a doubly-fed electric machine, an ironless orcoreless rotor motor, a pancake or axial rotor motor, a servo motor, astepper motor, a linear motor, or the like. In other embodiments, thedrive unit 830 may be embodied as, or otherwise include, anothersuitable electric motor.

In the illustrative embodiment, when mounted to and/or supported by thecradle 806, the drive unit 810, the axle 814, the wheel hub 816, thedrive unit 830, the axle 834, and the wheel hub 836 are aligned alongthe rotational axis RA. When the cradle 806 is attached to the underside214 of the frame structure 200, the components 810, 814, 816, 830, 834,836 are aligned along a lateral axis of the vehicle that is coaxial withthe rotational axis RA. In some embodiments, the rotational axis RA maydefine, or otherwise be associated with, a common rotational axis of apair of rear wheels of the vehicle. Additionally, in some embodiments,the rotational axis RA may define, or otherwise be associated with, acommon rotational axis of a pair of front wheels of the vehicle.

In the illustrative embodiment, each of the drive units 810, 830 is atleast partially aligned with a longitudinal centerline LC of theunderside 214 of the frame structure 200. As such, each of the driveunits 810, 830 is at least partially centered between the sides 802, 804of the frame structure 200 when the cradle 806 is attached to the framestructure 200. Each of the drive units 810, 830 extends outwardly awayfrom, and is located at least partially beneath, the longitudinalcenterline LC relative to the underlying surface.

It should be appreciated that any electric vehicle of the presentdisclosure incorporating the powertrain unit 800 does not include anumber of devices typically present in other land vehicle powertrainconfigurations. In one respect, each electric vehicle contemplatedherein does not include an internal combustion engine or powerplant. Inanother respect, any electric vehicle of the present disclosure does notinclude an engine or powerplant housed by the front cage 210 andpositioned above an underside 214 of the monocoque 200. In yet anotherrespect, each electric vehicle contemplated herein does not include adrive shaft or the like arranged along the longitudinal centerline LCthat provides a rotational input to the powertrain unit 800.Consequently, in comparison to conventional configurations havingpowertrain components such as internal combustion engines,transmissions, transaxles, and/or differentials, inclusion of thepowertrain unit 800 in any vehicle disclosed herein may offer greatermanufacturability and reduced design complexity, among other advantages.

As suggested above, in the illustrative embodiment, the drive unit 810,the axle 814, the wheel hub 816, the drive unit 830, the axle 834, andthe wheel hub 836 are mounted to the cradle 806 such that the components810, 814, 816, 830, 834, 836 are detached from the frame structure 200upon removal of the cradle 806 from the underside 214 thereof. Thus, thepowertrain unit 800 is easily detachable from the frame structure 200 tofacilitate access to those components for maintenance, servicing,repair, and/or replacement, which provides an advantage not readilyachieved with conventional land vehicle powertrain configurations.

It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, the powertrain unit800 may include components in addition to those mentioned above. Suchcomponents may include, but are not limited to, bearings, seals,gaskets, rods, brackets, shafts, rings, spacers, cams, gears, spindles,spokes, teeth, flanges, blocks, belts, pulleys, drums, or the like.Additional components of the powertrain unit 800 may be selected and/oremployed to permit translation and/or rotation of powertrain components,or to resist translation and/or rotation of those components, as thecase may be.

Referring now to FIG. 9, in some embodiments, the powertrain unit 800may include a transmission 920 coupled between the drive unit 810 andthe axle 814 and a transmission 940 coupled between the drive unit 830and the axle 834. In other embodiments, however, the transmissions 920,940 may be omitted from the powertrain unit 800.

The illustrative transmission 920 is embodied as, or otherwise includes,any device or collection of devices capable of transmitting rotationalpower supplied by the drive unit 810 to the axle 814. In someembodiments, the transmission 920 may include transmission gearing, suchas one or more simple or compound epicyclic gearsets, for example, thatare arranged between an input 922 (e.g., an input shaft) and an output924 (e.g., an output shaft) of the transmission 920. The input 922 ofthe transmission 920 may be coupled to an output shaft 811 of the driveunit 810, and the output 924 of the transmission 920 may be coupled tothe axle 814.

In some embodiments, the transmission 920 may include one or more torquetransmitting mechanisms (e.g., clutches or brakes) that are engageablein combination with one another to establish one or more speed ratios atwhich rotational power may be transmitted from the drive unit 810 to theaxle 814. It should be appreciated, of course, that the one or morespeed ratios may be associated with, or otherwise correspond to, one ofmore operating ranges or regimes of the transmission 920, such asforward, neutral, and/or reverse operating ranges, for example. In suchembodiments, an electro-hydraulic control system may be used to controloperation of the one or more torque transmitting mechanisms to establishthe one or more speed ratios. Additionally, in some embodiments, thetransmission 920 may include a variable-ratio device such as apulley-based variator, a planetary-type ball variator, or a toroidalvariator, for example. In those embodiments, the transmission 920 may beembodied as, or otherwise include, a continuously-variable transmissionor an infinitely-variable transmission.

In some embodiments, a transmission control system 926 may be employedto control operation of the transmission 920. The transmission controlsystem 926 may be embodied as, or otherwise include, anelectro-hydraulic control system, at least in some embodiments. Amongother things, the transmission control system 926 may include memory 927and a processor 928 communicatively coupled to the memory 927.

The illustrative transmission 940 is embodied as, or otherwise includes,any device or collection of devices capable of transmitting rotationalpower supplied by the drive unit 830 to the axle 834. In someembodiments, the transmission 940 may include transmission gearing, suchas one or more simple or compound epicyclic gearsets, for example, thatare arranged between an input 942 (e.g., an input shaft) and an output944 (e.g., an output shaft) of the transmission 940. The input 942 ofthe transmission 940 may be coupled to an output shaft 831 of the driveunit 830, and the output 944 of the transmission 940 may be coupled tothe axle 834.

In some embodiments, the transmission 940 may include one or more torquetransmitting mechanisms (e.g., clutches or brakes) that are engageablein combination with one another to establish one or more speed ratios atwhich rotational power may be transmitted from the drive unit 830 to theaxle 834. It should be appreciated, of course, that the one or morespeed ratios may be associated with, or otherwise correspond to, one ofmore operating ranges or regimes of the transmission 940, such asforward, neutral, and/or reverse operating ranges, for example. In suchembodiments, an electro-hydraulic control system may be used to controloperation of the one or more torque transmitting mechanisms to establishthe one or more speed ratios. Additionally, in some embodiments, thetransmission 940 may include a variable-ratio device such as apulley-based variator, a planetary-type ball variator, or a toroidalvariator, for example. In those embodiments, the transmission 940 may beembodied as, or otherwise include, a continuously-variable transmissionor an infinitely-variable transmission.

In some embodiments, a transmission control system 946 may be employedto control operation of the transmission 940. The transmission controlsystem 946 may be embodied as, or otherwise include, anelectro-hydraulic control system, at least in some embodiments. Amongother things, the transmission control system 946 may include memory 948and a processor 950 communicatively coupled to the memory 948.

In the illustrative embodiment, a drive unit control system 910 may beemployed to control operation of the drive unit 810. Among other things,the drive unit control system 910 may include memory 912 and a processor914 communicatively coupled to the memory 912.

In the illustrative embodiment, a drive unit control system 930 may beemployed to control operation of the drive unit 830. Among other things,the drive unit control system 930 may include memory 932 and a processor934 communicatively coupled to the memory 932.

Each of the memory devices 912, 927, 932, 948 may be embodied as anytype of volatile (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc.) ornon-volatile memory capable of storing data therein. Volatile memory maybe embodied as a storage medium that requires power to maintain thestate of data stored by the medium. Non-limiting examples of volatilememory may include various types of random access memory (RAM), such asdynamic random access memory (DRAM) or static random access memory(SRAM). One particular type of DRAM that may be used in a memory moduleis synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). In particularembodiments, DRAM of a memory component may comply with a standardpromulgated by JEDEC, such as JESD79F for DDR SDRAM, JESD79-2F for DDR2SDRAM, JESD79-3F for DDR3 SDRAM, JESD79-4A for DDR4 SDRAM, JESD209 forLow Power DDR (LPDDR), JESD209-2 for LPDDR2, JESD209-3 for LPDDR3, andJESD209-4 for LPDDR4 (these standards are available at www.jedec.org).Such standards (and similar standards) may be referred to as DDR-basedstandards and communication interfaces of the storage devices thatimplement such standards may be referred to as DDR-based interfaces.

In some embodiments, each of the memory devices 912, 927, 932, 948 maybe embodied as a block addressable memory, such as those based on NANDor NOR technologies. Each of the memory devices 912, 927, 932, 948 mayalso include future generation nonvolatile devices, such as a threedimensional crosspoint memory device (e.g., Intel 3D XPoint™ memory), orother byte addressable write-in-place nonvolatile memory devices. Insome embodiments, each of the memory devices 912, 927, 932, 948 may beembodied as, or may otherwise include, chalcogenide glass,multi-threshold level NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, single ormulti-level Phase Change Memory (PCM), a resistive memory, nanowirememory, ferroelectric transistor random access memory (FeTRAM),anti-ferroelectric memory, magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM)memory that incorporates memristor technology, resistive memoryincluding the metal oxide base, the oxygen vacancy base and theconductive bridge Random Access Memory (CB-RAM), or spin transfer torque(STT)-MRAM, a spintronic magnetic junction memory based device, amagnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) based device, a DW (Domain Wall) andSOT (Spin Orbit Transfer) based device, a thyristor based memory device,or a combination of any of the above, or other memory. The memory devicemay refer to the die itself and/or to a packaged memory product. In someembodiments, 3D crosspoint memory (e.g., Intel 3D XPoint™ memory) maycomprise a transistor-less stackable cross point architecture in whichmemory cells sit at the intersection of word lines and bit lines and areindividually addressable and in which bit storage is based on a changein bulk resistance.

Each of the processors 914, 928, 934, 950 may be embodied as, orotherwise include, any type of processor, controller, or other computecircuit capable of performing various tasks. For example, each of theprocessors 914, 928, 934, 950 may be embodied as a single or multi-coreprocessor(s), a microcontroller, or other processor orprocessing/controlling circuit. In some embodiments, each of theprocessors 914, 928, 934, 950 may be embodied as, include, or otherwisebe coupled to an FPGA, an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), reconfigurable hardware or hardware circuitry, or otherspecialized hardware to facilitate performance of the functionsdescribed herein. Additionally, in some embodiments, each of theprocessors 914, 928, 934, 950 may be embodied as, or otherwise include,a high-power processor, an accelerator co-processor, or a storagecontroller. In some embodiments still, each of the processors 914, 928,934, 950 may include more than one processor, controller, or computecircuit.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, an illustrative method 1000 of using aland vehicle is depicted. The method 1000 corresponds to, or isotherwise associated with, performance of the blocks described below inthe illustrative sequence of FIGS. 10 and 11. It should be appreciated,however, that the method 1000 may be performed in one or more sequencesdifferent from the illustrative sequence. Furthermore, it should beappreciated that one or more of the blocks described below may beexecuted contemporaneously and/or in parallel with one another. In someembodiments, the method 1000 may be performed manually by one or moreoperators. In other embodiments, the method 1000 may be embodied as, orotherwise include, a set of instructions that are performed by one ormore automated control systems, such as one or more of theaforementioned control systems 910, 926, 930, 946.

The illustrative method 1000 begins with block 1002. In block 1002, theoperator(s) or the control system(s) assembles the powertrain unit(e.g., the powertrain unit 800). To do so, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) perform blocks 1004, 1006, 1008, 1010, 1012, and 1014.In block 1004, the operator(s) or the control system(s) mounts the firstdrive unit (e.g., the drive unit 810) to the cradle (e.g., the cradle806). In block 1006, the operator(s) or the control system(s) mounts thesecond drive unit (e.g., the drive unit 830) to the cradle. In block1008, the operator(s) or the control system(s) couples the first axle(e.g., the axle 814) to the first drive unit. In block 1010, theoperator(s) or the control system(s) couples the second axle (e.g., theaxle 834) to the second drive unit. In block 1012, the operator(s) orthe control system(s) couples the first wheel hub (e.g., the wheel hub816) to the first axle. In block 1014, the operator(s) or the controlsystem(s) couples the second wheel hub (e.g., the wheel hub 836) to thesecond axle. Subsequent to the performance of block 1002, the method1000 proceeds to block 1016.

In block 1016 of the illustrative method 1000, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) ensures alignment of the powertrain unit components(e.g., the components 810, 814, 816, 830, 834, 836) along the rotationalaxis (e.g., the axis RA) of the wheels to be mounted to the powertrainunit. From block 1016, the method 1000 subsequently proceeds to block1018.

In block 1018 of the illustrative method 1000, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) attaches the cradle of the assembled powertrain unitdirectly to the underside (e.g., the underside 214) of the framestructure or monocoque (e.g., the frame structure 200) such that thepowertrain unit is disposed in confronting relation with the underlyingsurface (e.g., a support surface of the vehicle). In some embodiments,to perform block 1018, the operator(s) or the control system(s) ensuresthat the powertrain unit is attached to the underside of the framestructure such that the drive units are at least partially aligned withthe longitudinal centerline (e.g., the centerline LC) thereof. In anycase, from block 1018, the method 1000 subsequently proceeds to block1020.

In block 1020 of the illustrative method 1000, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) secures the wheels to the wheel hubs. From block 1020,the method 1000 subsequently proceeds to block 1022.

In block 1022 of the illustrative method 1000, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) operates the land vehicle. It should be appreciatedthat in doing so, at least in some embodiments, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) drives rotation of the wheel coupled to the first hub(e.g., the hub 816) in block 1024 and drives rotation of the wheelcoupled to the second hub (e.g., the hub 836) in block 1026.Furthermore, it should be appreciated that performance of blocks 1024and 1026 may provide independent control of the two drive units (e.g.,the drive units 810, 830) to selectively drive independent rotation ofthe wheels coupled to the powertrain unit (e.g., the powertrain unit800). In addition, it should be apparent that the performance of blocks1024 and 1026 may entail selectively driving rotation of the wheelscoupled to the powertrain unit based on a variety of inputs, such asenvironmental monitors and user inputs, among other things. Finally, insome circumstances, performance of blocks 1024 and 1026 may entailarresting or resisting rotation of the wheels coupled to the powertrainunit. In any case, from block 1022, the method 1000 subsequentlyproceeds to block 1128.

In block 1128 of the illustrative method 1000, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) removes the powertrain unit (e.g., the unit 800) fromthe land vehicle. To do so, in the illustrative embodiment, theoperator(s) or the control system(s) detaches the cradle (e.g., thecradle 806) from the underside (e.g., the underside 214) of the framestructure (e.g., the monocoque 200). From block 1128, the method 1000subsequently proceeds to block 1130.

In block 1130 of the illustrative method 1000, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) services the detached the powertrain unit. It shouldbe appreciated that any servicing associated with block 1130 may includeroutine maintenance activities, component repair and/or replacement,retrofitting, or other any task that may necessitate removal of thepowertrain unit from the vehicle. Regardless, from block 1130, themethod 1000 proceeds to block 1132.

In block 1132 of the illustrative method 1000, the operator(s) or thecontrol system(s) re-attaches the cradle to the underside of the framestructure. Following performance of block 1132, the vehicle may beoperated as discussed above with reference to block 1022.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in theforegoing drawings and description, the same is to be considered asexemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly illustrative embodiments thereof have been shown and described andthat all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of thedisclosure are desired to be protected.

What is claimed is:
 1. A land vehicle comprising: a frame structureincluding a front cage that defines an operator cabin and a rear floorpositioned rearward of the front cage, wherein the frame structuresupports a plurality of wheels to permit movement of the land vehiclerelative to an underlying surface in use of the land vehicle, andwherein an underside of the frame structure is disposed in confrontingrelation with the underlying surface; and at least one powertrain unitremovably attached to the underside of the frame structure, wherein: theat least one powertrain unit includes a plurality of drive units coupledto the plurality of wheels, in use of the land vehicle, rotational poweris provided to one of the plurality of wheels by a first drive unit ofthe plurality of drive units and to another one of the plurality ofwheels by a second drive unit of the plurality of drive units, the firstdrive unit is at least partially arranged on a first side of the framestructure to provide rotational power to a first one of the plurality ofwheels arranged on the first side of the frame structure, the seconddrive unit is at least partially arranged on a second side of the framestructure opposite the first side to provide rotational power to asecond one of the plurality of wheels arranged on the second side of theframe structure, the first drive unit is positioned closer to the firstone of the plurality of wheels than the second one of the plurality ofwheels, the second drive unit is positioned closer to the second one ofthe plurality of wheels than the first one of the plurality of wheels,the first drive unit is coupled to the first one of the plurality ofwheels without any transmission gearing interposed therebetween; thesecond drive unit is coupled to the second one of the plurality ofwheels without any transmission gearing interposed therebetween; the atleast one powertrain unit includes a cradle removably attached to theunderside of the frame structure that has an open tray; the first driveunit and the second drive unit are directly affixed to the open traysuch that the first drive unit and the second drive unit extendoutwardly beneath the open tray and are not completely enclosed by theopen tray; and the at least one powertrain unit includes a first axlecoupled to the first drive unit to be driven for rotation by the firstdrive unit that is arranged entirely outside of the open tray.
 2. Theland vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame structure is a monocoquehaving a single-piece, monolithic structure that does not include aninternal chassis, wherein the monocoque includes a core and a shell thatat least partially surrounds the core, wherein the core includes balsawood and one or more composite, non-metallic materials, and wherein theshell includes resin and fiberglass.
 3. The land vehicle of claim 2,wherein the land vehicle has a gross vehicular weight rating (GVWR) ofbetween 6,000 pounds and 19,800 pounds.
 4. The land vehicle of claim 3,wherein a height of the rear floor above the underlying surface isbetween 18 inches and 35 inches.
 5. The land vehicle of claim 1,wherein: the second drive unit is coupled to a second axle of the atleast one powertrain unit to drive rotation of the second axle; and thefirst drive unit, the first axle, the second drive unit, and the secondaxle are supported by the cradle such that the first drive unit, thefirst axle, the second drive unit, and the second axle are aligned alonga lateral axis.
 6. The land vehicle of claim 5, wherein the first axleis coupled to a first wheel hub to which the first one of the pluralityof wheels is mounted for rotation about the lateral axis, wherein thesecond axle is coupled to a second wheel hub to which the second one ofthe plurality of wheels is mounted for rotation about the lateral axis,and wherein in use of the land vehicle, rotation of the first one of theplurality of wheels about the lateral axis is driven by the first driveunit independently of rotation of the second one of the plurality ofwheels about the lateral axis driven by the second drive unit.
 7. Theland vehicle of claim 5, wherein each of the first drive unit and thesecond drive unit is an electric motor.
 8. The land vehicle of claim 5,wherein the first drive unit, the first axle, the second drive unit, andthe second axle are mounted to the cradle such that the first driveunit, the first axle, the second drive unit, and the second axle aredetached from the frame structure upon removal of the cradle from theunderside of the frame structure.
 9. The land vehicle of claim 1,wherein the first side of the frame structure is arranged opposite thesecond side of the frame structure with respect to a longitudinalcenterline of the underside of the frame structure.
 10. The land vehicleof claim 9, wherein the land vehicle does not include a drive shaft thatis arranged along the longitudinal centerline.
 11. The land vehicle ofclaim 10, wherein the vehicle does not include an internal combustionengine.
 12. The land vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first drive unitand the second drive unit are aligned along, and positioned on, a commonrotational axis of the first one and the second one of the plurality ofwheels.
 13. A powertrain unit for a land vehicle that includes a framestructure supporting a plurality of wheels to permit movement of thevehicle relative to an underlying surface in use of the land vehicle,the powertrain unit comprising: a cradle removably attachable directlyto an underside of the frame structure to dispose the cradle inconfronting relation with the underlying surface in use of thepowertrain unit; a first drive unit mounted to the cradle to providerotational power to a first wheel of the plurality of wheels in use ofpowertrain unit; a first axle coupled to the first drive unit to berotatably driven by the first drive unit; a first wheel hub coupled tothe first axle and configured to support the first wheel for rotationabout a rotational axis; a second drive unit mounted to the cradle toprovide rotational power to a second wheel of the plurality of wheels inuse of the powertrain unit; a second axle coupled to the second driveunit to be rotatably driven by the second drive unit; and a second wheelhub coupled to the second axle and configured to support the secondwheel for rotation about the rotational axis, wherein the first driveunit, the first axle, the first wheel hub, the second drive unit, thesecond axle, and the second wheel hub are aligned along, and positionedon, the rotational axis, wherein the cradle includes an open trayextending continuously from a first end adjacent the first wheel hub toa second end adjacent the second wheel hub, wherein the first drive unitand the second drive unit are directly affixed to the open tray suchthat the first drive unit and the second drive unit extend outwardlybeneath the open tray and are not completely enclosed by the open traywhen the cradle is attached to the underside of the frame structure,wherein the first drive unit is coupled to the first wheel of theplurality of wheels without any transmission gearing interposedtherebetween, wherein the second drive unit is coupled to the secondwheel of the plurality of wheels without any transmission gearinginterposed therebetween; wherein the first axle is arranged entirelyoutside of the open tray of the cradle; and wherein the second axle isarranged entirely outside of the open tray of the cradle.
 14. Thepowertrain unit of claim 13, wherein the first drive unit, the firstaxle, the first wheel hub, the second drive unit, the second axle, andthe second wheel hub are mounted to the cradle such that the first driveunit, the first axle, the first wheel hub, the second drive unit, thesecond axle, and the second wheel hub are detached from the framestructure upon removal of the cradle from the underside of the framestructure.
 15. The powertrain unit of claim 13, wherein each of thefirst drive unit and the second drive unit is an electric motor.
 16. Thepowertrain unit of claim 13, wherein the powertrain unit does notinclude an internal combustion engine.
 17. The powertrain unit of claim13, wherein the first drive unit is positioned closer to the first wheelthan the second wheel, and wherein the second drive unit is positionedcloser to the second wheel than the first wheel.
 18. A method of using aland vehicle that includes a frame structure supporting a plurality ofwheels to permit movement of the vehicle relative to an underlyingsurface in use of the land vehicle and a powertrain unit coupled to theframe structure, the method comprising: assembling the powertrain unit;attaching a cradle of the assembled powertrain unit directly to anunderside of the frame structure such that the powertrain unit isdisposed in confronting relation with the underlying surface; andoperating the land vehicle, wherein operating the land vehiclecomprises: driving rotation, by a first drive unit that is mounted on afirst side of the frame structure, of a first wheel arranged on thefirst side of the frame structure and positioned closer to the firstdrive unit than a second drive unit, wherein driving rotation of thefirst wheel by the first drive unit comprises driving rotation of thefirst wheel without transmitting rotational power to any transmissiongearing; and driving rotation, by the second drive unit that is mountedon a second side of the frame structure arranged opposite the firstside, of a second wheel arranged on the second side of the framestructure and positioned closer to the second drive unit than the firstdrive unit, wherein driving rotation of the second wheel by the seconddrive unit comprises driving rotation of the second wheel withouttransmitting rotational power to any transmission gearing, whereinassembling the powertrain unit comprises mounting the first drive unitto the cradle such that the first drive unit extends outwardly beneathan open tray of the cradle and is not completely enclosed by the opentray and coupling a first axle of the powertrain unit to the first driveunit such that the first axle is arranged entirely outside of the opentray.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein assembling the powertrain unitcomprises: mounting the second drive unit to the cradle; coupling asecond axle of the powertrain unit to the second drive unit; coupling afirst wheel hub of the powertrain unit to the first axle; and coupling asecond wheel hub of the powertrain unit to the second axle.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, further comprising removing the powertrain unit fromthe land vehicle, wherein removing the powertrain unit from the landvehicle includes detaching the cradle from the underside of the framestructure.